擅 meaning and stroke order
To claim, to monopolize; arbitrary
How to write 擅, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 擅
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- without authority
- to usurp
- to arrogate to oneself
- to monopolize
- expert in
- to be good at
How 擅 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 亶 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 擅
擅 has the hand 扌 on the left and 亶 (dǎn) on the right as the sound part. Picture a hand grabbing something all for itself: you take control on your own, or you have a skilled hand at something.
擅 almost always appears in compounds. 擅长 (shàncháng) means to be good at, and 擅自 (shànzì) means doing something on your own without permission. Example: 她擅长画画。(Tā shàncháng huà huà.) She is good at drawing.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 擅 with 檀 (tán, sandalwood) and 颤 (chàn, to tremble), which share the 亶 part. Check the left side: the hand 扌 means 擅. Also remember the tone is fourth tone shàn, not shān.
Common words with 擅
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
擅 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 擅
How many strokes are in 擅?
擅 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 擅 mean?
擅 (shàn) means to claim, to monopolize; arbitrary. A common word with it is 擅长 (shàncháng), meaning "to be good at; to be expert in".
How do you pronounce 擅?
擅 is pronounced shàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 擅?
The radical of 擅 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 擅 under this radical.
Is 擅 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 擅 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 擅长 and 善于?
Both mean to be good at. 擅长 can take a noun directly, as in 擅长数学, while 善于 usually comes before a verb, as in 善于沟通. 擅长 also often describes a specific skill or field.
Is 擅 positive or negative?
It depends on the word. In 擅长 it is positive and means skilled. In 擅自, 擅闯 and 擅离职守 it is negative and means acting without authority.